1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a socket for an electric part, provided with means for shifting contacts between a contact position and a release position.
2. Prior Art
The invention of Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 2-278461 published unexamined application No. Hei 4-154065, discloses a socket including a turnable lever engageable with contacts arranged in an array. In this socket, the contacts can be shifted, as a group, away from contact pieces arranged on an electric part by properly turning the turnable lever, in order to facilitate no-load-insertion of the electric part.
As shown in FIG. 8, however, the above conventional socket has the following problems. When the contacts 2 are repeatedly shifted by turning the lever 1 repeatedly, the contacts 2 are horizontally displaced along their engagement surfaces with respect to the lever 1, and contacting portions of the contacts are likewise displaced. As a result, reliable contact relation with terminals of an inserted electric part is adversely affected. Moreover, if the amount of side displacement is significant, it gives rise to another problem of short-circuit between adjacent contacts 2.